George Floyd Family Files Civil Lawsuit Against Perpetrators

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The family of George Floyd, a Black man who died after being suffocated by the excessive force of a white police officer, announced that they will file a civil lawsuit against the perpetrator, Derek Chauvin.

On the 13th (local time), according to CNN, Benjamin Crump, the attorney for Floyd's family, stated, "We will hold Chauvin fully accountable in every aspect, both criminally and civilly." In an interview with CNN, Attorney Crump pointed out that "it was not only Derek Chauvin's knee that killed George Floyd in Minneapolis, but the knee of the entire police force," emphasizing that the police culture must be structurally changed.

Chauvin was brought to trial on charges of pressing his knee on Floyd's neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds during the arrest in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on the 25th of last month, causing Floyd's death. He faces charges of second- and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, and three fellow officers involved in the arrest at the scene were also indicted on charges including second-degree murder conspiracy. All of them have been dismissed from their police positions.

Despite being dismissed and punished, Chauvin is reportedly eligible to receive pension benefits exceeding 1 million dollars (approximately 1.2 billion won) under Minnesota state law. Minnesota law grants pension eligibility even to dismissed public officials. According to CNN, Chauvin can apply for his pension after turning 50, and based on his years of service and salary, he is calculated to receive more than 50,000 dollars annually starting at age 55.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.